Dynasty 1: The Founding

This wonderful series opens with the back drop of the Wars of the Roses with the marriage between Eleanor Morland and a scion of the influential house of Beaufort. It is a union which establishes the powerful Morland dynasty and in the succeeding volumes of this rich tapestry of English life, we follow their fortunes through war and peace, political upheaval and social revolution, times of pestilence and periods of plenty, and through the vicissitudes which afflict every family - love and passion, envy and betrayal, birth and death, great fortune and miserable penury.

So Entertaining and Interesting!

I have now listened to 3 books in this series. What a fun time. The series will provide historical fiction lovers with hours of good listening. So far..Show More » the stories are not "gummy" with ridiculous,sticky romantic writing. There is enough romance blended with ficticious events to develop a very good story that holds the listeners' attention. If you enjoy well developed fictional characters mixed with actual historical people and events this is the series for you. The listener can get a birds eye view of Britsh history without feeling bogged down. I hope Audible will provide the entire series for us to enjoy as I will pruchase all of them without hesitation.

Dynasty 2: The Dark Rose

1501: the turbulence of Henry VIII's reign brings passion and pain to the Morlands as they achieve ever greater wealth and prestige.Paul, great-grandson of Elanor Morland, has inherited the Morland estates, and his own Amyas is set to be his heir. But Paul fathers a beloved illegitimate son, and bitter jealousy causes a destructive rift between the two half-brothers which will lead to death.

Enjoyable!

I loved this second in a long series of historical novels placed in northern England near York! It continued the saga of the Morland family from 1501 ..Show More »into the reign of young King Edward after the death of his father, Henry VIII. I love this period of English history so following the Morlands through it was especially enjoyable. I hope the next in the series will continue with Elizabeth I since she is my very favorite of all the English monarchs.

Others have summarized the plot of this novel so I will not repeat their efforts. This is a long book, a little over 21 hours on the audiobook, but I finished listening to it in less than 4 days. Although I do have a life, I found it difficult to take off my earphones and stop this story. I guess it’s a good thing that batteries do need to be recharged occasionally. I was even happy with the ending. I read the preceding book, but this one could stand on it’s own without losing much.

Dynasty 3: The Princeling

It is 1558: Elizabeth I is on the throne, though still challenged by Mary, and her Protestant faith threatens the Catholic Morland family.The reign of Elizabeth I means that the Morlands must seek new spheres of influence to restore their fortunes. John, heir to Morland Place, rides north to wed the daughter of Black Will Percy, the Borders cattle lord, and learns that the way to win her heart is through blood and battle.

Dynasty 4: The Oak Apple

1630: after long years of peace the reign of Charles I brings brutal civil war to England. The clash between King and Parliament is echoed at Morland Place when Richard brings home a Puritan bride while his brother, Kit, joins Prince Rupert and the Royalist cavalry, leaving their father Edmund desperately trying to steer a middle course between the fighting factions. As the war grinds on, bitterness and disillusion replace the early fervour, and the schisms between husband and wife, father and son, grow deeper.

History Made Clear For Me

This is perhaps the best of the four Morland Dynasty novels I have read. It is set during the Civil War in England, beginning in 1630 and closing with..Show More » the execution of Charles I in 1649. The history unfolds through the lives of various members of the Morland family who find themselves divided by their loyalties and forced along different paths, often at odds with those they love most. The fictional characters here are, on the whole, more engaging than in the previous novels, and through their stories, I began to have a far better understanding of what had transpired during these years.

To be sure, I had been taught about the Civil War in England, and of course I knew that Charles I had been beheaded by his political enemies. But in spite of this, I did not understand much about it, especially the causes of the war and reasons for such bitterness and extreme action. Viewing the history through the eyes of “real” people made it concrete and far more tragic than it had ever appeared during a high school/college lecture or in the pages of any history book I had read.

This book was worthwhile and I certainly will continue my journey through British history with the Morlands. There are at least 35 books in this series, so it will be a long journey for sure. If the accuracy of the history and the quality of the narrative continue, I most likely will as well.

Dynasty 5: The Black Pearl

1659: Cromwell's protectorate is drawing to a close, and the restoration of the monarchy can only improve the fortunes of the Morland family. The years of civil war and their aftermath have left Morland Place in dire straits, but with the return of the King, Ralph Morland believes he can rebuild the family estates. For his beautiful and ambitious cousin, Annunciata, the Restoration means a journey to London - one that leads to the amours and intriges of Charles's court and to the unlocking of her mysterious past.

Dynasty 6: The Long Shadow

1670: King Charles II's reign has brought peace and prosperity to the Morland family, but James II's ascent to the throne will shatter their restored fortunes. In Yorkshire, Morland Place has flourished during the Restoration, and in London the beautiful and sprited Annunciata, is now Countess of Chelmsford, a wealthy and well-connected woman, intimate with the Royal Family. But storm clouds gather over them all when the reign of James II brings rebellion and discord.

The Chevalier: Morland Dynasty, Book 7

1689: The Restoration enabled the Morland family to restore their own fortune, but now the Jacobite Rebellion brings another threat to their security. Annuciata Morland, fiercely loyal to the Stuart cause, follows her beloved king, James II, into exile. She leaves her gentle grandson, Matt, to oversee Morland Place in her absence. Without her wise presence, Matt finds himself in an arranged marriage to India Neville and at the mercy of a woman as heartless as she is beautiful.

The Maiden: The Morland Dynasty, Book 8

The rebellion of '45 and the bloody massacre at Culloden thrust Jemima into the spotlight as the savior of the Morland family. Independent, single-minded, and a rare beauty, Jemima is a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage. Although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, Jemima's quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty.

The Flood-Tide: Morland Dynasty, Book 9

1772: Although George III reigns over a peaceful England, his colonies in the Americas are claiming independence and a tide of revolutionary fervor is gripping France. Allen Morland and his beloved wife, Jemima, work unstintingly to bring Morland Place back to its former glory. Their seven children often bring them heartache, but they are sustained by their love of each other.

The Tangled Thread: Morland Dynasty, Book 10

The bloody revolution in France causes upheaval in the Morland family. Henri-Marie Fitzjames Stuart, bastard offshoot of the Morland family, strives to protect his daughter, Heloise; his mistress, Marie-France; and their son, Morland. To this end, he binds Heloise to a loveless marriage with a Revolutionary, and allies himself with the great Danton.

But in the bloodbath of the guillotine and the fall of Danton, Henri-Marie loses his head and Heloise flees to England.

The Emperor: Morland Dynasty, Book 11

As the century draws to a close, Jemima Morland wearily acknowledges that her life is also nearing its end, but she has scant peace as her unpredictable children behave ever more incomprehensibly: James's marriage to Mary Ann is closer to falling apart; Lucy's marriage of convenience is in the balance - her affair with Lieutenant Watson an open scandal; Mary bears a daughter on board her husband's ship during the battle of the Nile; and William supports a mistress whose marriage cannot be dissolved.

Dynasty 12: The Victory

1803: Napoleon is poised to invade England, with only Nelson's weather-beaten ships in his way, but the French fleet are not the only threat to the fortunes of the Morland family. In the North of England, Mary Ann's relationship with the missionary, Father Rathbone, introduces her to the stark realities of life in plague-torn Manchester. In the South, Lucy's lover, Weston, is assigned to the blockade of Brest, while her neglected husband, Chetwyn, finally finds love in an affair which threatens him with disgrace and ruin.

The Regency: The Moreland Dynasty, Book 13

The year is 1807. The Napoleonic Wars continue and their violence reverberates in the lives of the Morland family. Lucy, trying to rebuild her life after the death of her lover, is thrown into doubt and confusion by an unexpected proposal of marriage. At Morland Place, the hard-won happiness of James and Heloise is threatened by his rebellious daughter, Fanny, who is determined to claim more than her inheritance. These troubled times hold many surprises. In their darkest hour, the Morlands make an astonishing discovery.

Dynasty 14: The Campaigners

1815: Napoleon's escape from Elba and the preparations for battle entangle the Morland family in a web of romance and heartbreak. The Allied Army is gathering in Flanders, and where the army is, the fashionable world must go - so London society hastens to Brussels to enjoy the most exhilarating Season ever.

Dynasty 15: The Reckoning

The year is 1816. Napoleon has at last been defeated, but victory brings no peace to the English. The cost of war strikes deep into the country - there is a raging inflation, discharged soldiers join the ranks of the unemployed, wages tumble and the bread price soars - and hungry men are easily stirred to protest. Amid this turbulence, Heloise and James stand guard over Morland Place - for its spirit as much as its fortunes - when a tragic accident strikes at the very heart of the family.

Dynasty 17: The Poison Tree

The year is 1831. As England emerges from the post war depression, the country is changing, and the birth pains of the Reform Act bring it to the brink of revolution. The violent times breed violent acts, both outside and inside the Morland family. Sophie's life is shattered by a hideous crime. Rosamund learns that achieving her dreams brings as much pain as pleasure. Heloise, mourning her beloved James, let’s control of Morland Place fall into chaos. And amongst them all stalks the deadly, invisible threat of cholera.

Dynasty 16: The Devil's Horse

The year is 1820. The landscape of England is undergoing sweeping change as the country pioneers the steam-driven machine age. The Morlands, too, face change: Cousin Africa returns from St Helena to startle society with her unconventional ideas, and Lucy brings her sons home from their Grand Tour, brimming with ideas for their future. In Manchester, Sophie and Jasper meet fierce opposition to their plans for re-housing the factory hands, while in London, Rosamund enters a bizarre agreement.